Breathe
by cwgirlup
Summary: Hodgins needs Zack.


Title: Breathe  
Author: cwgirlup75  
Rating: K  
Pairing: Zack/Hodgins (slash)

Summary: Hodgins needs Zack.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Jack Hodgins and Zack Addy belong to TJ Thyne and Eric Millegan, respectively. Hart Hanson, of course, owns it all.

Dedicated to Downside-Left because I'm trying to recruit her to the dark side ;)

Reviews are my crack. Please feed my habit :)

Breathe

From the day his best friend was led away, ruined hands wrapped in white gauze bandages, Jack Hodgins had trouble breathing. A heavy weight settled in his chest, allowing him to take in just enough air to keep surviving. Surviving, not living, because in his opinion life without Zack wasn't worth much.

The weight in his chest made him sarcastic and abrasive towards the others in the lab. His attitude sometimes slipped into blatant hostility. Everyone cut him some slack at first because they knew he was suffering without Zack, but after he sent Dr. Brennan's new grad student running from the lab in tears, Cam decided something had to be done. She found him at his microscope and called him into her office.

"What's going on, Dr. Hodgins?"

"What do you mean?"

Cam just looked at him. "Look, I'm not going to pretend to understand the relationship you have with Zack. It's obvious that this behavior of yours is motivated by more than just missing your friend. We _all_ miss Zack, but it's affecting you much worse. So do something about it."

"What is there to do? Zack confessed. That's it, case closed."

"Aren't you the one who's been preaching for years to anyone that will listen about the corruption in the government? Make that work for you. We all know that you're spending a small fortune on surgeons to restore as much use as possible to Zack's hands. Use some of your money to buy his freedom."

Hodgins stared at Cam, wide-eyed and speechless. After a couple moments, he recovered the ability to talk.

"Did you really just tell me to bribe people to get a confessed murderer out of the loony bin?"

Cam laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm telling you to do what you need to do to get Zack home." She turned to her computer. "Now go home and get started." Hodgins turned to walk out of her office. As he grabbed the door handle, he looked at Cam.

"Thank you."

"Thank you for what? This conversation never took place."

A ghost of a smile came over Hodgins lips. "Gotcha."

Hodgins went home and spent the next few hours thinking over what Cam had said. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it himself. Of course he could get Zack out. It was just a matter of greasing the right palms.

Hodgins spent the following weeks bribing people, threatening people, pulling strings, and calling in every favor he could think of. He also made the necessary adjustments to his house to accommodate Zack's less than perfect hands. Hodgins wanted Zack with him in the main house. He visited Zack every other day just like always, never letting on how close he was to securing his freedom.

Everything fell into place ten months after Zack was first taken away. A phone call informed Hodgins that Zack has been granted a full pardon and was eligible for immediate release. Hodgins barely resisted the urge to jump in the air and whoop, instead settling for grabbing Angela in a strong hug and hurrying out of the lab. He jumped in his car and traveled the familiar route to the McKinley Psychiatric Hospital in about half the normal time.

Hodgins arrived at the hospital and walked into the main lobby. A confused looking Zack sat waiting, dressed in street clothes for the first time in months, black leather gloves covering his still fragile skin. He stood as Hodgins crossed to him and reached out his arms. Hodgins hugged Zack to him, fisting his hands in the back of Zack's shirt. Zack returned the hug and was startled to feel tears soaking into his shirt.

"What's going on, Hodgins? I don't understand."

Hodgins broke the hug and wiped his eyes. "I'll explain everything later, buddy. Right now we're going home."

Zack walked out of the hospital after Hodgins, still confused but trusting that his friend knew what he was doing. Hodgins looked back at Zack. He knew that many hours of explanation were ahead, but he didn't care. He smiled at Zack, feeling the weight finally leave his chest.

He could breathe again.

THE END


End file.
